If we were to compare Ash & Elm to an animal, it would have to be a chameleon — it changes its spread as often as the latter changes colours. Mornings are reserved for a buffet breakfast, lunch is a semi-buffet and dinner is a la carte.

And Sundays? Ash & Elm recently added the Sunday Champagne brunches to its list of offerings. So you ask — what sets it apart from most restaurants doing the same thing? The answer: A lot.

When you step into Ash & Elm for your Sunday brunch, you might think that the spread is very modest. The first thing you’ll see is the small seafood station, with lobsters, mussels, prawns, clams and oysters. While they all look appetising with their vibrant colours and meaty flesh, the lobsters weren’t as fresh and tasty when we visited. It’s a good thing that the other items made up for it with their pure seafood flavours.

On the left is the charcuterie and cheese room, which the culinary team stock up regularly with more than 10 varieties of cheese and cold cuts.  Beside it are the breads and pizzas, freshly prepared every day from its wood-fired oven.

Explore the whole restaurant and you’ll see that the three show kitchens have been transformed into buffet counters with a DIY salad, soup, carvery and egg stations; as well as one very unique addition — a caviar station offering Avruga (herring roe), Tobiko (flying fish roe), Kaluga Queen (sturgeon roe) and Ikura (salmon roe).

There are breads and blinis (small pancakes) that allow you to scoop up the roe from your plate. When we asked InterContinental Singapore’s director of new openings and projects, Bruno Fallegger how this idea was hatched, he said that being new to the champagne brunch scene, they wanted to offer something different to their customers. Hence, the special station which you can only see at Ash & Elm.

It may seem like the end of the spread, but it’s actually the beginning. Instead of displaying all its mains at the counter, the chefs take your orders and serve them in small plates — cooked on order. On offer are items such as the cep mushroom truffle cappuccino, served in a small cup but bursting with earthy flavours; medium-sized grilled prawns redolent with a sweet marinade and served with thyme, garlic and sautéed fennel; as well as duck leg confit served on top of the creamiest mash infused with its flavours. The best part is that you can have unlimited servings of all the petite mains for three whole hours.

Not to be missed is the dessert station at the corner, which catches your attention with its colourful display of sliced fruits, cakes and ice cream. There’s also a crepe station, manned by a chef who prepares it on request. When someone orders, the aroma just wafts through the air and tempts you to have one too — no matter how full you are.

Complementing the food, the Sunday brunch comes with freeflow Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne, plus a Bloody Mary which you can prepare yourself, as well as coffee, tea and juices.

Our verdict: We think that Ash & Elm is a must-try destination for your regular Sunday champagne brunch, precisely because of its caviar station. Also, we like the idea of serving the mains in small plates as it has helped reduce the restaurant’s food wastage by 60 to 70 per cent.

For reservations, please call 6825 1008 or email intercontinental.dining@ihg.com

Ash & Elm | Level 1, Intercontinental Singapore, 80 Middle Road, S(188966) | 6825 1008

Images courtesy of Intercontinental Singapore